David Platt is the Man!

Last month I had the opportunity to attend T4G in Louisville, Kentucky. The whole conference blessed my socks off, but my favorite speaker was a guy I hadn’t even heard of til that point. His name is David Platt and he preached a sermon entitled “An Unadjusted Gospel in an Unreached World: Connecting Gospel Theology with Urgent Missiology”… It was one of those sermons that made you take a step back, stop and re-evaluate the way you are living. It made me think again, for what purpose did God create and redeem me. He opened again my eyes to the urgency of the true, unperverted, unadjusted Gospel going forth to a world enslaved to sin. My hope is that you will take the time to listen to this sermon which was recently uploaded to the T4G site. Here is your audio LINK, nice big and Green so that you cant miss it. He is the last speaker on the list,  just in case you can’t find it. Enjoy and let me know what you think.

Do you Love Jesus? – David Platt

What does it mean to hate father and mother, children or spouse?

New post coming soon!!!

really I promise…. Reading some good stuff.

Sorrow, Pleasure, and Repentance.

Though it be a deep sorrow for sin that God requires as  necessary to salvation, yet the very nature of it necessarily implies delight. Repentance from sin is a sorrow arising from the sight of God’s excellency and mercy, but the apprehension of excellency or mercy must necessarily and unavoidably beget pleasure in the mind of the beholder… How much soever of a paradox it may seem, it is a true that repentance  is a sweet sorrow, so that the more of this sorrow, the more pleasure.” – Jonathan Edwards

Oh that we would have this pleasant pain. The pain of sorrow woven together with the greatest joy of knowing and treasuring Jesus!

Prayer Causes Things to Happen – John Piper

God’s Sovereign Will

Today we got mail… Yes I am a big fan of going through the mail even if most of the time it’s only advertisements for mattress sales or coupons for the grocery store… Today’s mail included a letter from Desiring God Ministries along with the water bill. Okay, the water bill wasn’t too exciting, though it was 79 cents less than what I budgeted for. The letter from DGM however contained a very interesting article written by Jon Bloom.

It was all about God’s sovereign love in carrying out His will in His people’s lives. He shared about Joseph (Jesus’ earthly dad) and all stress, anxiety, and worry that he must have faced through the first few years of Jesus’ life. Traveling a 100 miles to Bethlehem on foot with pregnant Mary all because of a stupid census; Escaping to Egypt under the threat of the baby Messiah’s execution; Coming back to Nazareth instead of Bethlehem; always on the run, not being able to settle anywhere. He probably struggled to find work, and probably struggled to support his new family. Life was chaotic. All these things however fit perfectly into God’s sovereign plan of redemption. Prophesies were fulfilled, and nothing took God by surprise.

Bloom brings encouragement to his readers by saying,

The unplanned, inefficient detours of our lives are planned by God. They are common for disciples, and they commonly don’t make sense for the moment. But God’s ways are not our ways because our lives are about Him, not about us. He is orchestrating far more than we know in every unexpected event and delay… So when you find yourselves suddenly in a direction you had not planned, take heart, hold tight, and trust God’s navigation.”

I like that, “But God’s way’s are not our ways because our lives are about Him, not about us.” What comfort there is to be grasped knowing that God is in control of our lives and He will use us to glorify His name through any twist and turn in this life.

Proverbs 16:9 “The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps”

J. C. Hahne

Introducing Foote Notes

Well here we go. I just came across a new blog of and old friend. No Bill, I’m not calling you old… our friendship is old. Bill and his family left to go onto the mission field I believe in 1996, the same year that I left for Romania and so we share a special bond in the experience of missions. However the bond I feel that I have with him is more than just missions, it is a Christ centered preaching; rejoicing in the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Footes moved back to California a few years ago and now has started a new church in Mission Viejo, Ca. For a sample of his preaching , writing, and his thoughts check out his blog entitled “Foote Notes”. Here now is a short video of him preaching and you’ll understand why I recommend you further checking out his blog.

John Piper – The Fear of Being Useless

Original Sin, Sanctification, and the Gospel

Here’s some more good stuff from Walter Marshall on the powerlessness of the unregenerate, gospel-less man:

We are alll by nature, void of strength and ability to perform acceptably that holiness and righteousness which the law requireth, and are dead in trespasses and sins, and children of wrath, by the sin of our first father, Adam… This doctrine of original sin, which Protestants generally profess, is a firm basis and ground-work to the assertion now to be proved, and to many other assertions in this whole discourse. If we believe it to be true, we cannot rationally encourage ourselves to attempt an holy practice, until we are acquanted with some powerful and effectual means to enable us to do it. While man continued upright, in the image of God, as he was first created, he could do the will of God sincerely, as soon as he knew it; but, when he was fallen, he was quickly afraid, because of his nakedness; but could not help it at all, until God discovered to him the means of restoration (Gen 3:10,15). Say to a strong healthy servant, Go, and he goeth; Come, and he cometh; Do this, and he doth it: but a bed-ridden servant must know first how he may be enabled.”

It is the Gospel that frees us, that regenerates, justifies, sanctifies and glorifies us. Apart from the gospel there is no power to perform the acts of holiness which God requires us to fulfill. “I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.” – Galatians 2:21

One of the gravest mistakes of the church today and throughout the ages is the command to fulfill the command of God without giving the means to do so. Even as God gave the law through Moses to his people he gave them the means through the Gospel. “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.” Exodus 20:2. Here we see both the Gospel, and the helplessness of their state. God rescues them from slavery, and then proceeds to call them to holiness. Oh, how often do we forget the means to to the end.

Marshall says once again in his book The Gospel Mystery of Sanctification:

Men show themselves strangely forgetful, or hypocritical, in professing original sin in their prayers, catechisms, and confessions of faith; and yet urging upon themselves and others the practice of the law, without the consideration of any strengthening, enlivening means; as if there were no want of ability, but only of activity.”

May we continually feed on the means of grace.

It’s my day off!

Hello all!!! Well, I just thought today I’d give you something else to read. I came across an excellent article entitle “What’s wrong with having a normal life?” written by none other than my mother, Krista Hahne. Okay, even if I’m a little biased, I still think it’s a great read and though a little long, (that’s just how my momma is) it’s worth your time…. I guarantee!!!!

So anyway, CLICK HERE!!!

Are there Prerequisites to Salvation?

A new book that I started reading is The Gospel Mystery of Sanctification by puritain Walter Marshall. I picked it up thinking that any book dealing with the subject of sanctification  powered by the Gospel must be a keeper. Of course I haven’t been disappointed in my expectations though I am still just in the introduction. The book is divided into 14 different directions to the reader focusing on the sanctification through our unity to Christ.

Here’s a quote from his 7th direction as he lays down the foundation:

We are not to imagine that our hearts and lives be changed from sin to holiness in any measure, before we may safely venture to trust on Christ for the sure enjoyment of Himself, and His salvation.”

He continues on explaining:

To try to make ourselves fit for Christ is to be led away from Christ by a satanic delusion.”

Indeed we are not saved by our repentance or our good works. Those are the overflow of faith; The free gift of God. We simply come as broken sinners. Joel Beeke adds on in his Introduction to Marshall’s work:

Such people become spiritually distressed when they think they must have more love for God, more godliness of heart, more thoughts of God’s attributes, more victory over lusts, more cleansing of their hearts, more impressions of the wrath of God, more confession of sin, and more heart-felt prayer and praise before they trust in Christ for their salvation. Such erroneous ideas only keep people away from Christ.”

and again Marshall says:

While we endeavor to prepare our way to Christ by holy qualifications, we do ratheer fill it with stumbling blocks, and deep pits, whereby our souls are hindered from ever attaining to salvation of Christ.”

We cannot be sanctified before we are justified, for sanctification comes as we are united to Christ. Come to Christ broken as that taxcollector did, who would not dare raise his eyes to the heavens but beat his breast and cried out for mercy. I tell you, this man went to his house justified.

J. C. Hahne

The Ultimate Aim of the Gospel

I’ve picked up Piper’s God is the Gospel once again and thought that I’d share a quote about the aim of the Gospel. It really made me think and I’m starting to agree more and more that God IS the Gospel. SO here’s the quote:

The ultimate aim of the gospel is the display of God’s glory and the removal of every obstacle to our seeing it and savoring it as our highest treasure.”

So I was thinking about the quote and came to realise that if this isn’t the ultimate aim of the gospel then any other aim would make us idolaters. If it’s chief aim is to make us feel better about ourselves, or just pain free in heaven, or maybe to get a new and improved body one day, then we are falling short of the ultimate treasure. If we are treasuring something else above God and His glory than the Gospel is no good news. The good news is that we can enjoy the greatest thing in the universe; that is God himself. God has redeemed us to Himself and for Himself and this is indeed the good news!

J. C. Hahne

It’s been a while… but we’re back!

Indeed quite a few months have passed since I last posted something. We have gone through a world of change in that we returned to to States after 13 years of missions. The transition has been a little tough in that we are learning a new culture and though I’m originally from the States, it feels like a new world. God however remains the same and His faithful, sovereign love is what holds us. There is much comfort in being the redeemed beloved of the Father.

We are now living and serving in Colorado Springs, Colorado where we have become involved in a new church plant called Reverence Bible Church of Colorado Springs. It is a joy to be here as we are enjoying the preaching of Derick Hull…very God and Gospel centered. What more could one need. The fellowship is small but sweet. Indeed a great group of sinners saved by grace. God is our chief boast!

Anyway, the reason for me posting is to announced that I intend to start blogging once again. First of all I believe it is for my own good in that writing causes me to be better disciplined in meditating regularly on the Gospel of His glorious grace. Just as God continually told the Israelites to remember and recall all that God had done for them, so too, we must remember the Gospel… thus blogging for me is one way to do that and to find power and joy to press on in our call to glorify and enjoy God forever.

Second, I enjoy the fellowship of the brethren. Loving one another is one of the many fruits of the Gospel, so I eagerly await your comments of encouragement… and spelling/grammar corrections… 13 years in a foreign country has certainly taken its toll on my English…

Anyway, I hope you will return regularly and that we will grow together in being sanctified by His word.

Blessings to you all,

J. C. Hahne

John Calvin – Righteous by Christ

Here’s another great quote from Calvin’s The Necessity of Reforming the Church. Man is declared righteous and fit for heaven apart from the works of the law. He is declared righteous only by Christ’s merit.

…we maintain, that of what description soever any man’s works may be, he is regarded as righteous before God simply on the footing of gratuitous mercy; because God, without any respect to works, freely adopts him in Christ, by imputing the righteousness of Christ to him, as if it were his own. This we call the righteousness of faith: that is, when a man, made void and empty of all confidence in works, feels convinced that the only ground of his acceptance with God is a righteousness which is wanting to himself, and is borrowed from Christ.”

- John Calvin, (The Necessity of Reforming the Church)

More from Calvin – Reforming the Church

A new friend of mine recommended that I read Calvin’s “The Necessity of Reforming the Church”. So, I am slowing going through it, reading and re-reading. Honestly it’s been a while since I picked up something that is so weighty, thus I see my need to retrain my attention span (or maybe it’s just that I’m reading at 12:30 AM). Anyway, there are some great quotes, and though I haven’t gotten too far into his appeal, I have been encouraged and am delighting in the doctrines of grace; the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Just thought I’d share a paragraph or two with you all… It really does produce a humble heart, thankfulness, and assurance which leads to true worship unto God.

Now, the knowledge of our salvation presents three different stages. First, we must begin with a sense of individual wretchedness, filling us with despondency as if we were spiritually dead. This effect is produced when the original and hereditary depravity of our nature is set before us as the source of all evil  a depravity which begets in us distrust, rebellion against God, pride, avarice, lust, and all kinds of evil concupiscence; and making us averse to all rectitude and justice, [it] holds us captive under the yoke of sin; and when, moreover, each individual, on the disclosure of his own sins, feeling confounded at his turpitude, is forced to be dissatisfied with himself, and to account himself and all that he has of his own as less than nothing; then, on the other hand, conscience (being cited to the bar of God) becomes sensible of the curse under which it lies, and, as if it had received a warning of eternal death, learns to tremble at the divine anger. This, I say, is the first stage in the way to salvation, when the sinner, overwhelmed and prostrated, despairs of all carnal aid, yet does not harden himself against the justice of God, or become stupidly callous, but, trembling and anxious, groans in agony, and sighs for relief.

From this he should rise to the second stage. This he does when, animated by the knowledge of Christ, he again begins to breathe. For to one humbled in the manner in which we have described, no other course remains but to turn to Christ, that through his interposition he may be delivered from misery. But the only man who thus seeks salvation in Christ is the man who is aware of the extent of his power: that is, acknowledges him as the only priest who reconciles us to the Father, and his death as the only sacrifice by which sin is expiated, the divine justice satisfied, and a true and perfect righteousness acquired; who, in fine, does not divide the work between himself and Christ, but acknowledges it to be by mere gratuitous favor that he is justified in the sight of God. From this stage also he must rise to the third, when instructed in the grace of Christ, and in the fruits of his death and resurrection, he rests in him with firm and solid confidence, feeling assured that Christ is so completely his own, that he possesses in him righteousness and life.”

Chew on that a few times. Praise be to Him who has overcome!